Jiang Nuan looked at Jiang Xingyu’s expression. It wasn't as cold as she had imagined. Instead, his entire being radiated joy at seeing her.
Jiang Nuan stepped forward, looking at him intently. He had matured significantly in the past six years.
“Big Brother, did you deliberately come looking for me?” Jiang Nuan’s voice trembled slightly.
“Yes! Nuannuan, let’s talk. You won’t find any information about your origins here. Only Jiang Shuo knows everything.”
“Damn it.” Meng Yuan exclaimed upon hearing this, unable to help herself. “Mr. Jiang, you’re not like I thought, are you? You’re not Jiang Shuo’s son either?”
Jiang Nuan looked glumly at Meng Yuan. “Yuan Yuan, what do you mean?” Yuan Yuan had mentioned this to her before, and she hadn’t thought much of it. If Jiang Xingyu wasn’t Jiang Shuo’s son, why would he have sent him abroad to study?
Jiang Xingyu slowly curved a faint smile, his deep eyes looking intently at Meng Yuan. “It seems this young lady already knows.”
Meng Yuan shook her head abruptly. “I’m not entirely sure. I’m just guessing.”
Jiang Xingyu chuckled and said, “Then your guess is indeed accurate.”
Jiang Nuan: “…”
“Nuannuan, let’s find a place to sit down and talk. I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Jiang Nuan nodded. Only after they reached a nearby restaurant did her dazed state improve slightly.
After the three sat down, Jiang Xingyu ordered some dishes. He hadn’t had dinner yet.
He poured a cup of tea for Jiang Nuan, who didn’t react much.
Meng Yuan gently nudged her. “Nuannuan, why are you so out of it?”
Jiang Nuan suddenly snapped back to attention and slowly shook her head. “No, I was just thinking, why isn’t Big Brother Jiang Shuo’s son? Jiang Shuo treated him so well since he was young. And I only survived by luck.”
“Heh heh…” Jiang Xingyu couldn’t help but laugh. Looking at the still dazed Jiang Nuan, he took a deep breath. “Nuannuan, have dinner with Big Brother first. I’ll tell you the reason after we eat.”
Jiang Nuan nodded. The food soon arrived, and several of the dishes were Jiang Nuan’s favorites.
Jiang Nuan looked at Jiang Xingyu with some surprise.
“Eat up. Don’t you like green pepper taro?” Jiang Xingyu picked up a piece of taro and offered it to Jiang Nuan.
“Thank you!” Jiang Nuan lowered her head to eat.
“Nuannuan, I’m your Big Brother. You don’t have to be so polite.”
Jiang Xingyu smiled and lowered his head to eat. Jiang Nuan then dared to glance at him.
This was somewhat different from what she had imagined.
She had expected Jiang Xingyu to cause trouble for her without questioning anything upon his return, to demand why she had treated her adoptive parents that way.
She had prepared many phrases to answer him, yet he appeared before her so gently.
She was truly struggling to process it.
Jiang Nuan endured the meal with Jiang Xingyu. Meng Yuan remained an observer throughout, feeling like an outsider at the table.
Seeing Jiang Xingyu put down his chopsticks, Meng Yuan also perked up. She put down her phone, ready to listen attentively.
Jiang Nuan also prepared herself, looking quietly at Jiang Xingyu.
Jiang Xingyu seemed a bit mischievous, teasing Jiang Nuan’s anticipation by doing everything deliberately and unhurriedly.
Jiang Nuan, who had always been fiery, felt a pang in her heart watching Jiang Xingyu like this.
“You, you’re just impatient,” Jiang Xingyu said, taking a sip of tea.
“…Big Brother, please hurry and tell me.” Jiang Nuan could no longer hold back.
“Mm!” Jiang Xingyu’s expression turned serious.
Jiang Nuan’s posture became more rigid.
Seeing her small movements, Jiang Xingyu’s expression softened involuntarily.
“Nuannuan, I am indeed not a child of the Jiang family. Like you, I was brought back and raised by Father Jiang. However, they don’t know that I know this. I overheard it when they were arguing, and that’s how I learned I wasn’t their child.”
“And they sent me abroad with a purpose. If I didn’t grow up in the Jiang family, everything in the Jiang family would have nothing to do with me. His only concern was his son, Jiang Haoyu. Jiang Haoyu is his biological son, and Jiang Qing is his biological daughter.”
“So, you knew I wasn’t biologically related too?” Jiang Nuan asked, her voice trembling.
Jiang Xingyu smiled and nodded. “That’s right. That night, what I overheard was that neither of us were their biological children. We were just brought back and raised for other purposes. As for what those purposes were, I haven’t been able to find out yet.”
“In short, he brought us back with a plan. If it weren’t for what happened this time, I wouldn’t have wanted to return here.”
Jiang Xingyu looked at her deeply. “Nuannuan, I was worried about you, so I came back to see.”
“Also, you must really want to know why I didn’t tell you after I found out the truth. If I had told you, you would have suffered even more. Only when you knew nothing could you live on resiliently, even if you were hungry and full sometimes, you could still strive to live until you were an adult.”
“Six years ago, after I learned about your accident, I rushed back once, but I was still too late. After you left, there was no news of you. I felt guilty for several years because of it, regretting not reminding you to guard against the Jiang family. Everything left by Grandma has already been taken by them.”
Jiang Nuan’s hands were trembling, and her heart was also trembling. She never knew that Jiang Xingyu had been secretly protecting her.
“Then what was the reason you went abroad?” Meng Yuan didn’t quite believe Jiang Xingyu’s words.
Jiang Xingyu’s gaze flickered, and a deep bitterness welled up in his eyes. He gave a wry smile. “I requested to go abroad myself. I hated the chaotic Jiang family. The money the Jiang family gave me was barely enough. After tuition fees, I had almost no living expenses. A professor abroad helped me, and I was able to complete my studies.”
“I was already earning money myself six years ago. I originally planned to return to the country and take Nuannuan abroad, but before I could even return, Nuannuan had an accident.”
Jiang Xingyu looked at Jiang Nuan with a guilty expression. “Nuannuan, I’m sorry!”
Jiang Nuan shook her head slightly and smiled. “Big Brother, you don’t need to feel guilty. I think I’m the one who wronged you. It was difficult for you back then, and you should have given me some pocket money when you left.”
She had misunderstood Jiang Xingyu. It was precisely because Jiang Xingyu had always treated her very well that she felt distressed. She didn’t want to hurt anyone who was good to her.
Jiang Xingyu smiled at her, a gentle smile that Jiang Nuan couldn’t quite understand. “Nuannuan, it was difficult for me back then too. I just wanted to grow up quickly and take you away from there.”
“I’m three years older than you. I remember when we were little, you often followed behind me, calling me brother, brother, so sweetly. After you turned six, the Jiang family treated you worse and worse. Only Grandma doted on you like her most precious treasure.”
“Nuannuan, I don’t know if you still remember these things. The Jiang family not only treated you badly, but they treated me the same way. The ridiculous part is that suggesting I go abroad was proposed by Father’s mistress, Liu Fei. In these few days, she’s probably already started trying to seize the Jiang family’s assets.”